


Something better than before

by nineteenohtwo



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Banter, Bickering, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Slow Burn, T. J. Kippen & Amber Are Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-07-29 17:57:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20086387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nineteenohtwo/pseuds/nineteenohtwo
Summary: TJ caught up to Cyrus, who was already walking towards his door. “Well, it has been a pleasure.”“Sure.” Cyrus was sure his mouth couldn’t look like a thinner line than it did at that moment, “A pleasure I hope to never have to endure again.”“Likewise,” TJ said, with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Too bad you’re so boring. You’re like, the only person I know in Shadyside besides my sister.”“Well, you’re an asshole so,” Cyrus unlocked his door and stepped inside, turning back to look at TJ, “thank you for walking me to my door, and I hope I never have to talk to you again. Goodbye.”a When Harry Met Sally AU





	1. Fourteen/Fifteen

Cyrus squinted at the cars driving by, pushing his sunglasses up his nose. “Maybe they’re not coming anymore,” he said, impatiently tapping his foot on the ground and taking a sip out of his water bottle, “have you tried calling her?”

“Of course,” Andi turned to Cyrus, phone in hand, “I’m not an idiot, Cyrus.”

“Just a suggestion,” Cyrus held his hands up in defence, “it’s just that we’ve been waiting here for at least fifteen minutes, and she hasn’t even _texted _you.”

Andi’s eyes shot daggers at Cyrus, pointing her cell phone at him as if it was a dagger, “Amber wouldn’t just bail.” She waved her hands around as if even the idea of her summer camp friend bailing on her was absolutely ridiculous. “Also, she snapped me a picture in the car this morning. That proves they’re heading here.”

“Alright, alright,” he shrugged, “wait, they? How many are coming?”

“Four.”

Cyrus frowned at her. “Four?”

“Four?” Buffy echoed Cyrus, walking up to them, “Dude, I haven’t been able to find a single bathroom out here, they better arrive soon or I’m going to-”

“Andi!” An unfamiliar voice interrupted Buffy’s rant, “There you are! We were at the East entrance for at least half an hour, before I checked your text again and realised we were at the wrong one.”

Andi turned around, immediately flinging herself into the arms of a blonde girl that seemed about their age. “Oh my god! _Oh my god! _You brought Walker?” She immediately jumped at the boy next to the girl that Cyrus presumed to be Amber, who caught her and spun her around. “Oh my god, oh my god.”

“Surprise!” Walker said, giving her a tight squeeze and putting her down, “Couldn’t pass up on a reunion.”

Cyrus and Buffy were standing shoulder to shoulder, watching their best friend reunite with her Art Camp friends, trying not to bring up that they both desperately needed to use the bathroom.

Andi’s eyes sparkled and she was red in the face when she finally turned back to them. “Uh, Amber, Walker, these are my best friends Cyrus and Buffy.” They waved at each other, smiling at the floor.

Amber beckoned for the boys in the back to come closer, “I’m Amber, this is Walker, the one next to him is Marty and the tall one in the back is my brother, TJ.”

“Hey!” Marty enthusiastically waved at them and winked at Buffy, making her roll her eyes and look away, while the other boy, TJ, just raised his eyebrows and said nothing.

“Let’s go in,” Andi said, grabbing Amber by the hand and rushing towards the ticket booth.

Cyrus and Buffy exchanged a glance and shrugged, following after them. Marty caught up with them and immediately started a conversation with Buffy, while Cyrus started talking to Walker.

Cyrus stood in line, talking to Walker when he remembered that there was a seventh person with them. He looked back and saw TJ standing a couple feet behind them.

“Are you coming?”

“Sure,” TJ said, closing the space between them, “I’m TJ, by the way.”

“I heard,” Cyrus smiled, “I’m Cyrus.”

-

“Want to come on the rollercoaster, Cyrus?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Come on,” Buffy said, pulling at his sleeve, “you never tried it before.”

“I have,” Cyrus said, shrugging, “I just don’t feel like going.”

Buffy smiled at him and let go, “Alright. I’ll text you when it’s done.”

“I think I’m going to get a slushie.”

“Sounds like fun.”

Cyrus rolled his eyes and gave her a brief hug. He started walking away from his friends, who got in line for the rollercoaster, taking in his surroundings of bright colours and hundreds of strangers taking their kid on a fun day out.

“Cyrus, wait up!”

“Oh, hey,” Cyrus smiled and slowed down so TJ could catch up with him, “don’t like rollercoasters either?”

TJ rolled his eyes, “Not necessarily. I think they’re childish.”

“Childish?” Cyrus said, surprised, “Why would they be childish?”

“Artificial fun.”

“And? What’s your point?”

TJ rolled his eyes again. He seemed to do that a lot, Cyrus thought. “It’s like people can’t have fun on their own so they have to resort to things that make your adrenaline spike to even feel a little bit of glee.”

“But a lot of fun is artificial? TV and books and playgrounds and movies are all man-made? I don’t get what you’re on about? Do you want to get back to hunter-gatherer times?”

“I didn’t think you would get it,” TJ sighed, getting in line for a slushie. Cyrus got in line next to him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You look like one of those happy-go-lucky people. You know,” TJ put on a huge fake smile and waved his hands around, “Happy vapid people who don’t question anything.”

“Nice jazz hands,” Cyrus scoffed, “and for the record, I question a lot of things.”

TJ raised his eyebrows, “Yeah? Like what?”

“You know… Authority.” He cringed at his own statement, “Andi, Buffy and I threw a dress code protest at our school.”

“Wow, rad,” TJ said, sarcastically, “and what school may that be?”

“Jefferson Middle School. Buffy and I are going to Grant next year; Andi is going to art school.”

“Grant? Great,” TJ said, moving up in line, never once looking at Cyrus, “Amber and I are about to go there.”

“What year are you in?”

TJ bit his bottom lip, glancing over and just as quickly looking away again, “Amber’s gonna be a sophomore. I’m repeating freshman year.”

“Oh,” Cyrus said, wiggling around on his toes and looking around, as if he was physically trying to find another subject to talk about, “sucks.”

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a while, as much as you could be silent at an amusement park. The air around them smelled burned, of hot dogs and waffles. Small children were crying everywhere, other kids were yelling. The sky was a bright blue and there was barely any wind, only ever so often a small gust to make the leaves in the trees rustle a little. Cyrus felt nauseated, standing in line for a slushie that he didn’t want that much if he was being honest, standing in line with a guy he didn’t like that much.

“Uh…” He decided to break the silence, “Have you seen the new Marvel movie?”

“Yes.” TJ moved forward in line a little, not sparing Cyrus a glance.

“So much for conversation.” Cyrus muttered, moving in front of TJ to the front of the line and giving his money to the slushie lady, “Blue, please.” He paid and took his slushie from the lady with a small smile, stepping out of the line and waiting for TJ to order.

“Red, please,” TJ said, handing his money over.

“Of course he likes red,” Cyrus mumbled around his straw.

TJ turned around, “Ready to go back?”

“Sure.”

They were quiet, each sitting down on either side of the bench, as far away from each other as was physically possible.

-

Buffy, Andi, Jonah, Amber and Marty looked positively wild when they came off the rollercoaster, their hair sticking up in weird direction, their cheeks flushed and eyes wild.

“Hi!”

“Buffy!” Cyrus said, accidentally knocking his almost empty slushie on the ground, “I’m so glad to see you! Let’s go.”

“Where?” Buffy said, looking dazed when Cyrus grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her away, “What’s going on?”

“Amber’s brother is a nightmare, Buf,” Cyrus whispered, pulling Buffy into a line at a hot dog stand, “he was going on about artificial happiness and called me a happy vapid person.”

Buffy looked horrified, “Slow down. What are you talking about?”

“He’s just a _dick,” _Cyrus’ cheeks flushed at his use of the swear word, “He kept being so rude to me about everything, didn’t want to make any conversation and essentially called me an idiot.”

“Are you serious? I knew I didn’t like him the moment I laid eyes on him.” Buffy crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, looking at TJ, who was showing Walker something on his phone.

“Are you guys going to order anything? You’re holding up the line,” the greasy boy manning the hot dog stand said.

“No, we’re having a moment.”

“You can have a moment out of the line, young lady,” the guy said, gesticulating wildly with his spatula, “You two, skidaddle.”

Buffy and Cyrus locked eyes, walking back over to where the rest was still standing. They went over to Andi, and Cyrus softly whispered about what happened in her ear, watching her eyes grow wide.

“Dude, no.”

“Yes. Isn’t that so rude?”

“Yeah, wow,” Andi said, “Amber isn’t like that at all, though. I wonder what went wrong with him.”

“TJ?” Amber seemed to materialise behind them, “I don’t know what exactly went wrong, but I do know that he liked to use the bars of his playpen as a lollipop. We suspect the paint might’ve had lead in it.” Cyrus and Buffy stared at her, while Andi burst out laughing. “It’s a joke,” Amber clarified, “he’s just a bit of a dick. Don’t take it personal.”

-

“Oh, that was so much fun,” Amber and Andi came off of the last of the countless rollercoasters they had done over the day, giggling and holding hands. “I got a message that my mom is here though,” Andi turned to Amber, pouting, “we’ll see each other more, though, now you’re moving to Shadyside.”

“Yeah!” Amber said, “It sucks you’re not at high school with us, though.”

“The arts are a noble pursuit.”

“Yeah, they are,” Amber said, swinging their hands between them, “I’m going to miss you, though.”

“I’m gonna miss you too. But you can’t live far? Where is your new house?”

Amber looked at TJ, who answered her without looking up from his phone, “It’s on the corner of Cherry and Union street.”

“Oh, that’s like ten minutes from where I live-”

“Union street? That’s where I live,” Cyrus interrupted her, “what a coincidence!”

“You should totally drive back with us!”

Cyrus looked at Andi and Buffy, “Oh, I don’t know-”

“Oh, then Marty can come with us, he lives very close to me, apparently,” Buffy interjected, not reading the context clues.

“Alright, so that’s that, I guess,” Amber clapped her hands together, “You and Teej can sit together in the back, I’ll take shotgun.” She held her hand up to TJ’s face, who looked ready to protest, “It’s my turn to take shotgun!”

“Yes, but you’re just going to fall asleep!”

“That’s not true!”

-

TJ waved his hand in front of Amber’s face and carefully lifted one eyelid. “And… she’s asleep. Of course.”

“She always sleeps during car rides, honey, you know that,” Amber and TJ’s mom smiled at Cyrus, making eye contact via the rear view mirror. “No need to moan about it every time.”

“I told her to let me take shot gun if she was just gonna sleep.”

“But now you can talk to your new friend!”

TJ smiled a wry smile at his mom in the mirror. “Yay.”

“So,” Cyrus said, attempting to make pleasant conversation, “why’d you guys move to Shadyside?”

“Dad’s work,” TJ said, “company moved here, so his family moved here.”

“Oh cool,” Cyrus said, “what does he do?”

“He’s a chemical engineer.” TJ said, sneaking a glance at his mom in the mirror, “I think I-”

“TJ’s going to go to MIT to become a chemical engineer too,” his mom interrupted, “it runs in the family. He just has to work a little on his mathematics.”

“_Mom.”_

“What? You have to repeat your year because of it, don’t be ashamed.”

TJ let out an exasperated groan, “He doesn’t need to know that!”

“Well, your friend can-”

“_We are not friends!_”

The car fell deadly silent as TJ’s mom kept her eyes trained on the road and Cyrus was not going to be the first one to make noise, quietly taking shallow breaths to not disturb the uncomfortable air that hung in the car.

“I mean,” TJ scraped his throat, looking at Cyrus with big eyes, that looked sympathetic at the beginning of the day, “we just met this morning. Amber is friends with his friend Andi.”

“Yeah,” Cyrus said, fidgeting with some of the loose thread on lining of the sleeve of his jacket, pulling one string out of it completely, “we just live very close now, so it made sense to, uh, ride back together.”

TJ’s mom nodded, “Right,” and turned the radio up.

-

“It’s here to the right. A white house...” Cyrus leaned forward in his chair, never having been happier to see his house, “yes, that one. Thanks for bringing me home, ma’am.”

“Oh, no worries dear, we would have had to drive past your house anyway. TJ, walk Cyrus to his door, will you?”

TJ rolled his eyes, but got out of the car nonetheless, slamming his door so hard that it woke up a sleeping Amber.

“Right.”

“Right,” TJ caught up to Cyrus, who was already walking towards his door. “Well, it has been a pleasure.”

“Sure.” Cyrus was sure his mouth couldn’t look like a thinner line than it did at that moment, “A pleasure I hope to never have to endure again.”

“Likewise,” TJ said, with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Too bad you’re so boring. You’re like, the only person I know in Shadyside besides my sister.”

“Well, you’re an asshole so,” Cyrus unlocked his door and stepped inside, turning back to look at TJ, “thank you for walking me to my door, and I hope I never have to talk to you again. Goodbye.”


	2. Sixteen/Seventeen

What a shitty day.

Cyrus rolled his eyes while tapping his foot in an ongoing, nervous rhythm. He was sat on the very edge of his seat, with one hand on the principal’s desk and one hand in the air, wildly gesticulating. “And I’m telling you, it was an accident.”

“Three students said you _deliberately_ pushed the coffee cup off my desk, mister Goodman.” He was clearly fuming, little flocks of spit flying everywhere and his neck and face as red as the tie he was wearing. He slammed his hand down on the desk and faced the principal, “I have _witnesses_!”

“Tell me which students then! I swear it was an accident!”

Cyrus and his teacher were nearly nose to nose.

“I don’t have to give you any names!”

“If you’re accusing me of something I didn’t do, I’m in my right to demand the names of people making false accusations, it’s no more than fair!”

“You’re diverting the issue because you don’t want to admit that you did it on purpose!”

His teacher got up in Cyrus’ face while the principal sat in his chair, watching their back and forth as if it was a particularly interesting tennis match.

“Maybe I should’ve done it on purpose you old-”

“You don’t want to finish that sentence, young man! You are a spiteful, puny, stubborn little boy and I-”

The principal scraped his throat, making them stop their screaming and look at him. “Alright, that is enough.” He put one hand over his eyes and pushed the side of his head with the other, “I’ve heard enough.”

Cyrus slammed his palm down on the desk in frustration. “But, sir, I really didn’t do anything!”

The principal took his hand from his eyes and held it up in front of Cyrus to shush him. “Goodman, I said that I’ve heard enough.” He looked at Cyrus’ AP history teacher, who was still fuming at the mouth. “Evan, I really don’t think we can force this kid to pay for your dry cleaning because he accidentally knocked over your leftover coffee onto your pants. He has a clean record and I have no reason to suspect he’s lying.”

“I want to see him punished! If you don’t punish him, I will.”

“_Fine_,” the principal stressed, addressing Cyrus, “You get off with a Saturday detention and an apology to mister Gilbert for ruining his pants.”

“But _sir_,” Cyrus and the teacher started simultaneously before the principal shushed them again.

“This is my final decision, Cyrus. Detention on Saturday and an apology _now_.”

Cyrus looked at the floor and rolled his eyes, “I’m sorry for accidentally knocking over your coffee onto your pants. I imagine it has been an inconvenience, having a wet spot on your crotch. My,” he held out his hand to shake and stressed the last two words immensely, “_sincerest apologies_.”

“Could have been less sarcastic, but will have to do, I’m afraid,” the principal said, standing up and straightening out his suit, “I have a meeting with the vice principal about the unauthorised use of the printer in the library, so I’m going to have to see you both out.”

His teacher stood up, knocking Cyrus’ outstretched hand away in the process and stalked out of the principal’s office, like a general marching into battle.

“Dramatic little bitch,” Cyrus mumbled to himself as he gathered his backpack and jacket before getting ushered out by the principal.

-

**GHC also Jonah**

**Slayer**

So???

What happened with the principal?

I want the tea and I want it now

**Andiman**

Huh?

What went down?

**Frisbee Boi**

Cyrus knocked over a cup of coffee

ON HIS HISTORY TEACHER

It was hysterical

**Slayer**

JONAH

Cyrus could be in trouble

…

But it was funny tho

**Cyguy**

What do we say to Evan Gilbert with his history PHD?

Boo

You whore.

**Andiman**

So what’s the verdict

**Cyguy**

Fucking Saturday detention

And an apology

**Frisbee Boi**

Do u need me to kill him for you

Because it sounds like he sucks

And I will totally kill him for you

**Cyguy**

Alright Jonah Mulaney

**Slayer**

At least it looked like he pissed his pants

**Frisbee Boi**

It was so fucking funny Andi

You don’t understand

Sucks you got detention tho

**Cyguy**

Tell me about it

I had plans

Me and Buf were gonna go to the cinema

**Andiman**

And me? Where am I in this scenario?

**Frisbee Boi**

AND ME?

**Slayer**

You two went to see the movie we’re seeing last week

Without US

**Andiman**

That was a coincidence

We ran into each other at the theatre

**Cyguy**

Well it doesn’t matter

Because we don’t get to go

**Frisbee Boi**

We can all go on Friday?

**Cyguy**

It’s a date

**Andiman**

I guess I can cancel on family night

**Slayer**

!!!

Yay

**Cyguy**

Goddamn I can’t believe I have detention

How am I going to sell this to mom

**Slayer**

Que sera sera bitchass

-

Cyrus looked at the note that his history teacher had handed him with glee, double checking that he was in the right classroom.

_“Saturday detention. Perfect place for little delinquents.” _Cyrus mimicked his teacher, sitting down at a desk and dropping his backpack on the floor. “Delinquent,” he corrected himself, as he seemed to be the only one there. He took his phone out of his pocket to check the time and put it away again to wait on the librarian, who would be monitoring his detention.

He opened his backpack and took out a library book he had gotten the day before, opening it and getting lost in the first couple of pages, when he heard a door further down the hall slam shut.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

“It’s in here,” Cyrus said, not looking up from his book, “there’s no teacher yet, don’t worry about being late.”

“Great, thanks,” a boy stumbled into the room, looking sweaty and uncoordinated, “I was sitting in a classroom on the floor below, ever since they’ve changed the classroom numbers I can’t make sense of the floor plan – do I know you?”

Cyrus looked up, and tilted his head, “Yeah, we went to an amusement park once.”

“Doesn’t ring any bells.”

“What? Like two years ago? I remember you just moved here.”

“Oh, yeah,” TJ sat down next to him, “Calum? Cameron?”

“Cyrus,” he said with a wry smile, “and could you be quiet? I’m trying to read.”

TJ grabbed the book out of his hands, inspecting the cover. “Walden, huh? Wouldn’t have pegged you for a hippie.”

“I’m not a hippie,” Cyrus hissed and took the book bag, “and it’s a classic, it’s not like I’m going to get some grand life lesson out of it.”

“Alright, alright,” TJ held his hands up, and took a book out of his own bag.

“Wouldn’t have pegged you for someone that knew how to read.”

“That’s very funny, Thoreau,”

Cyrus raised his eyebrows, “Right.” He leaned back in his chair to see what TJ was reading, “Dumas. You’re reading the fucking three musketeers and you make fun of me for reading _Walden_?”

“Touché.”

Cyrus opened his mouth to say something back, maybe prove his point a bit more when the librarian walked in. “Alright, are you two Cyrus Goodman and Th-”

“_Nope! _I go by TJ.”

“Alright,” she said, checking the list again, “_TJ _Kippen?”

“Yes,” they said simultaneously, when she sat down at the desk in front of the room.

“I’m Mrs. Wyatt, but you can call me Beth.” She looked about fifty, with grey hair gathered in a tight bun at the back of her neck, wearing a long, black skirt and a cardigan.

“I’m going to be honest, boys,” she said, taking a small sip out of her mug, “I’m not that happy that I have to get away from my work reshelving to monitor you two. In fact, I am very annoyed.” She took a good look at them both, and let out a loud sigh. “So I decided that you’re both coming with me to the library, you can study, or read, or help me reshelve, I don’t actually care.”

“Uh, we’re supposed to write-”

“Oh, screw the essay you’re supposed to write, I’ll write you a note.” She beckoned for them to get on their feet, “Want to stop at the teacher’s lounge for a coffee?”

Cyrus looked up from stuffing his book into his backpack, “Is that even allowed?”

She shrugged, “Probably not, but it’s eight AM on a Saturday and I honestly can’t be bothered. They want me to respect the rules and make you write your essay? Well, I want a job in a real library and a vacation to France.”

“Good on you, Beth, stick it to the man,” TJ said, putting his jacket back on. He leaned towards Cyrus, “I’m liking this a lot more already.” He walked out of the door after Beth the librarian, while Cyrus watched him walk away.

“I’m not,” he muttered, running after them.

-

Cyrus was reading Walden, engrossed in Thoreau’s words and vision. He took an occasional sip of his mug, and could hear Mrs. Wyatt putting books back on the shelved a couple rows behind him.

“Hey,” TJ leaned over from the other side of the table, “do you think that when you google ‘librarian’ a picture of her comes up?”

“Don’t be mean,” Cyrus clacked his tongue, “she’s been so nice to us.”

“I’m not saying she’s not nice!” TJ said, “she let me get like… Four coffees already. I’m not dissing Beth.”

“Don’t call her Beth.”

“She said we could call her Beth!”

Cyrus rolled his eyes and turned a page, determined to not give TJ any attention.

“So, what did you do to get in here?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you in detention,” TJ clarified, resting his head on his hands and staring at Cyrus, “you seem like a good student.”

“I knocked over a coffee cup on my AP History teacher and he demanded I be punished,” Cyrus said, raising his eyebrows, “so, here I am. What did you do?”

“Got into a fight.”

Cyrus scoffed, “A _fight_? Why? With who?”

“With a guy on the football team, don’t know his name.”

“Charming.”

“Come on, Thoreau, what’s life without a little risk?”

“I don’t know, Dumas, safe, perhaps? Nice?”

TJ raised his eyebrows at him, “But nothing exciting is ever going to happen if you keep depending on a safety net.”

Cyrus almost pointed out that not depending on a safety net landed TJ in a nice day of Saturday detention, but refrained from doing, so, instead he downed the last bit of his coffee and stood up.

“Mrs. Wyatt! I’m going to the toilet and getting another coffee, if that’s okay!”

“Of course!” She yelled back, “Can you take my sandwich out of the refrigerator too?”

“I love her,” TJ said, also standing up, “I’m going with him if that’s alright?”

“Sure, just be back as soon as you can!”

-

“What’s your favourite movie?” TJ asked, pouring himself what had to be his fifth cup of coffee.

“Jeez,” Cyrus looked at the dust particles dance in the afternoon sun that spilled through the large windows of the teacher’s lounge, “I guess it’s ‘Dead Poets Society’. Maybe ‘Amélie’ if I’m having a bad day.”

“Ah,” TJ’s eyes widened as if he had just made a profound scientific discovery, “you’re like pretentious, then?”

Cyrus clacked his tongue, “I’m not pretentious,” Cyrus said, leaning on the counter, waiting for TJ to be done, “what’s your favourite movie, then?”

TJ thought for a moment, taking a sip of his coffee and refilling it immediately, “I think it’s ‘Kung Fu Panda’.”

Cyrus let out a laugh, “Sure, it is.”

“Hey! Kung Fu Panda is great, and I won’t hear any slander about it.” TJ looked at Cyrus over the rim of his coffee cup.

“Jesus Christ,” Cyrus smiled, “you’re so fucking weird.”

“I’m perfectly normal.” TJ blew the steam rising from his mug away, “You’re the one that casually reads Thoreau and watches weird French movies.”

“Amélie isn’t an obscure French movie, it made over 300 million dollars at the box office and I’m pretty sure it was nominated for a couple of Oscars.”

One of the corners of TJ’s mouth quirked up, “French cinema equals pretence.”

“It’s really beautifully made!” Cyrus defended ‘Amélie’, deciding that if this was the hill he was going to die on, he might as well go down with a fight, “I would even go as far as to bet that you’d like it.”

“I don’t doubt that,” TJ muttered, taking a sip of his coffee as they walked back down the hall.

Mrs. Wyatt’s sandwich felt cold and hard in Cyrus’ hand and he resisted the urge to squeeze it, instead opting for sliding a finger over the rim of his coffee mug, over and over again, feeling the soothing warmth of the heated up porcelain.

TJ turned to him and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand holding his mug, “We should be friends.”

“What?”

TJ shrugged and started walking again, “I don’t know. I don’t have many friends that read books for fun and I think I’d like one.”

“Nice offer, but I think I’ll pass,” Cyrus said, “I have enough friends.”

“Bullshit,” TJ said, “who has enough friends? Friends don’t come in a limited quantity.”

Cyrus looked at his feet, “I don’t really think the guy I’m dating would like that? He thinks I have too many friends already.”

“Oh, there’s a boyfriend in the game,” a wicked grin appeared on TJ’s face, “Are you saying that he would be jealous of us being book buddies?”

“No!” Cyrus said, wildly shaking his head, “no, no, of course not, he’s not the jealous type.” He bit his bottom lip, “He’s not really a boyfriend either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s a boy and he’s a friend. He doesn’t think in labels like that.”

TJ scoffed, “He doesn’t believe in labels? Do _you_ want more out of it than that?”

Cyrus bent his head to look at the floor. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

They walked in silence to the library. Cyrus reached his hand out to open the door, but TJ was faster, holding it shut. “Who is it anyway?”

“None of your business.”

“Oh, come on. I’ll tell you who I’m dating.”

Cyrus rolled his eyes. “Fine. He’s called Reed. I think he’s on the basketball team, so you should probably know him and-”

“You’re dating Reed?” TJ nearly yelled and looked at Cyrus as if he was crazy. “The asshole benchwarmer?” He took his hand from the door in favour of leaning against it completely. “Dude, no offense, but you can do better. Starting something with him…” he shook his head, “Bad news.”

When Cyrus didn’t respond he added, “It’s totally irrational for him to be jealous or whatever, if he doesn’t want to put a label on shit.” He stood up straight, granting Cyrus the option to get past him into the library, but Cyrus didn’t. He just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, looking up at TJ with frowned eyebrows.

“I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”

“Well, my girlfriend wouldn’t mind if we became friends.”

Cyrus got closer to TJ. “Well, point A, you’re straight, so she doesn’t have to worry. Point B, your poor, poor girlfriend has to put up with you already, I don’t think she has the time to be jealous.” He raised his eyebrows, “Who are you dating again?”

“Kira. You know her?”

Cyrus took a step back and let out an ugly cackle that echoed through the hallway. “Speaking of asshole benchwarmers.”

“Hey!”

“What! It’s true! Didn’t she get kicked off the girl’s team because of poor team playing skills and a bad attitude? If Reed is bad news, so is she.”

“Alright, maybe she’s had some attitude problems, that’s in the past now,” TJ waved wildly, coffee spilling out of his mug, “everyone’s got static, she’s really nice now.”

“Yeah, sure.” Cyrus said sarcastically, stepping past TJ and opening the door to the library, “but if she fucks up your life, don’t say I didn’t try to warn you.”

TJ rolled his eyes and crouched down, pulling a paper towel out of his pocket and started cleaning up his spilled coffee, “Whatever you say, Thoreau.”

-

Cyrus walked out of the building, revelling in the feeling of fresh air and the gentle warmth of the evening sun on his face, “God, that was the longest day of my life.”

“Tell me about it.” TJ came up behind him, squinting at the sudden brightness. He opened his backpack and pulled out his keys, swirling them around his index finger, “Need a ride?”

Cyrus shook his head, “No, my boy-” He interrupted himself when he saw TJ open his mouth, “Reed is gonna be here any minute now. I just texted him, he lives close.”

“Alright, then, Thoreau, your choice,” TJ smiled, “it was a pleasure reading classics with you.” He did a half-assed bow in Cyrus’ direction, before turning around and walking to his car, “I’ll see you around.”

Cyrus tried not to, but couldn’t help smiling at his antics. He watched TJ walk away, “See you around, dumbass.”

“Hey!” TJ yelled, turning back around and leaning against his car, “It’s is _Dumas_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2!!!! i have only one part of the story left but it's like 20k words so... let's split it up, shall we


	3. Seventeen/Eighteen (One)

** 17/18 **

“We can get your perfume after this, Andi, I really need this book!”

“Come on, Cyrus! You’ve been looking for it for at least five minutes, they don’t have it!”

Cyrus shook his head and kept browsing the shelves. “I called ahead and they said they had a copy in stock!”

“Sure, sure,” Andi said, tapping her foot on the ground, “do you mind if I go ahead already? I don’t want to keep mom waiting any longer,” she looked at her phone and cringed, “Yeah, I’m gonna go, she’s getting pissed.”

“I don’t mind,” Cyrus said softly, pulling a similar looking book off the shelves, “goddamn, this isn’t it.”

“Good luck,” Andi gave him a quick hug, looking over his shoulder and pulling back a little to look in his eyes, “Oh, uh, by the way, there’s a boy staring at you in History.” She cast a quick glance his way again, “Isn’t that the basketball captain?” Cyrus glanced up from the book he was holding and immediately turned around again, keeping his eyes trained on the shelf in front of him.

Andi smiled knowingly, “Oh, he’s coming over here. What’s his name again? PJ?”

“No, it’s TJ,” Cyrus said, pulling a book off the shelf, “Fuck. Is he close? I swear to god Andi, is he-”

“Cyrus Goodman!”

Cyrus quickly put the book back on the shelf, turned around and looked right into TJ’s eyes. “Oh! You!”

“Me!” TJ smiled brightly, “It’s been so long, I really forget we go to the same school.”

“Big school,” Cyrus said, looking at his feet, “uh, this is my friend-” he looked to his left where Andi was no longer stood, “_was _my friend Andi.”

“Cool,” TJ said, still sporting a constant half-smile directed at Cyrus, “so, want to get a coffee, maybe?”

“A coffee?”

TJ smiled, “Yes a coffee. I remember you being very fond of it when we got a free pass to use the coffee machine in the teacher’s lounge during Saturday detention.”

“A coffee it is,” Cyrus smiled back, averting his eyes from TJ to look at his phone, “Andi ditched me anyway, she went to find her parents.”

“Convenient.”

“Tell me about it.”

-

“So, how’s it going with you and the asshole benchwarmer?” TJ blew the steam off his coffee mug to cool it down, “Haven’t talked to Reed in a while, so. I think he quit the team earlier this season.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Cyrus took a careful sip, “nothing’s happening between us anymore.”

“Oh, how come?”

“We were heading in separate directions, I guess.” Cyrus sighed, staring down at his mug, “He just wanted to keep everything so casual, it was like we weren’t even together anymore. He didn’t want to give what we were a label, even though it had been going on for at least a year, didn’t take me to any of his friends’ parties, ghosted me out of the blue…” His voice trailed off, as he swirled his spoon around in his mug, “we weren’t working anymore. It was an amicable breakup.”

“Can’t relate,” TJ said, raising his eyebrows at Cyrus, “don’t think Kira ever wants to see me again.”

“Why not?” Cyrus said, taking a careful sip of coffee.

“Well… One day, we were kissing at her house, and she tries to get to making out and I just realised I was gay.”

Cyrus choked on his coffee, “That bad?”

“Not necessarily bad,” TJ laughed while Cyrus wiped the coffee he spilled from his face and clothes, “just absolutely not for me.”

“God, I hope she isn’t vengeful.”

“She is,” TJ said, “she already told a couple people from the basketball and soccer teams. I can’t do anything about it now.”

“Fuck, that sucks. She sucks.”

“Should’ve listened to you when you said she had a shit personality.”

“And I should’ve listened to you that starting something with Reed wasn’t the smartest decision I have ever made. Looks like we’re in the same boat.” Cyrus pressed his ankle against TJ’s briefly, “I’m really, really sorry about you being outed. It sucks.”

“Yeah, it does.” TJ looked at the people passing by the windows of the café, “I hope it doesn’t change the dynamic with my teammates.” He pushed some hair off his forehead, leaning back in his chair, “I have practice tomorrow, I’ve been praying to every god I could think of to not have them be weird to me about it in the locker room.” He tore his gaze away from the window and looked back at Cyrus, shrugging lightly, “I really don’t know how I’d handle my team turning on me. Don’t know if I _could _handle it, to be completely honest.”

Cyrus took TJ’s hand and gave it a light squeeze, “Hey. Nobody’s been weird to me in the locker room and I’ve been out longer than you.”

“But you’re not the basketball captain. I’m so scared they won’t listen to me anymore, or that some recruiter might hear the news and doesn’t want to go through with my scholarship anymore, or-”

“Hey!” Cyrus said, pressing their palms together and interlacing their fingers, “This is doomsday thinking, I won’t allow it.” TJ opened his mouth but Cyrus held up his hand to shush him, “Nope! It’s destructive! Shut up!”

Cyrus held up their intertwined hands, “See this?”

“Yes?” TJ said, slowly, trying to process.

“This means we’re friends now. And as your friend, I will come to sit in the bleachers at your practice tomorrow and if they’re being dicks to you, they’ll come to regret it.” Cyrus said, letting go of TJ’s hand, “I’ll make sure of it.”

The corners of TJ’s mouth curled up as he shook his head, “We’re friends now?”

“That’s what you got out of my entire tirade?”

TJ looked smug, and took a sip of coffee, “That was the most important part of it.”

“Weirdo.”

-

Cyrus was sprawled out on his bed, watching ‘Legally Blonde”, when he got a call.

“Hello?”

“Cyrus?”

“Oh, hi, TJ, what’s up?”

He heard TJ pause on the other end of the line, “Nothing actually, it’s stupid.”

“No, what?” Cyrus said, sitting up straight and pausing the movie, “Tell me.”

“I just wondered if you wanted to come along to the library? They cleared out the section with old CD’s and put a seating area there with beanbags and shit.”

“Now?”

“Yeah?”

Cyrus brushed off some Dorito dust of his sweater and stood up from the bed, “Sure, let me change and I’ll meet you there.”

“Nonsense, I’ll come pick you up.”

“If it isn’t too much trouble.”

TJ sighed, “We practically live in the same street.”

Cyrus cringed and pinched his nose bridge, “Of course, I forgot. See you in a couple of minutes.”

He hung up and picked his shoes and a jacket up from where he had dumped them after school, almost tripping down the stairs when he was trying to multitask walking and dressing himself.

“Hey there, what’s going on?” Cyrus’ dad steadied him by holding his shoulders, “I would’ve thought I could’ve stopped telling you this ten years ago but it’s a dumb idea to put your shoes on while walking down the stairs.”

“Sorry,” Cyrus said, bending down and tying his shoelaces, “I was in a rush.”

“Why the hurry? Is there a new hobby we don’t know about?”

“No, I’m just going to the library with a friend.”

“But I thought Andi had family dinners on Friday and Jonah and Buffy didn’t like to read?”

Cyrus’ neck turned red, “I have other friends.”

“Well, who is it?”

“Uh,” Cyrus said, his head perking up when he thought he heard a car arriving, “his name is TJ, he practically lives down the street.”

Norman raised his eyebrows at Sharon, who came out of the living room, “Have you heard of a TJ?”

“TJ?” She said, the corners of her mouth quirking up, “Who is TJ?”

“A friend,” Cyrus said, giving them both a quick kiss on the cheek, “and he’s here, so I better go.”

“A friend,” Norman repeated, watching the door fall close behind their son, “I can’t help but wonder…”

“Oh, shush,” Sharon laughed, “we’d never hear the end of it if it was a boyfriend. Remember the previous one? Reed?”

“God forbid it is another Reed, I couldn’t stand him.”

-

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Cyrus said, sitting down shotgun, leaning against the headrest, “you can never ever come in.”

“Why not?” TJ said, pulling out of the driveway, while Cyrus watched his parents peek at them from the window, “Do your parents don’t like the brand of my car or something?”

Cyrus groaned, “No, they’re just way too interested in my personal life. God forbid I make a new friend. I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

“I don’t know. I’d rather have my parents very interested than apathetic.”

“True,” Cyrus said, sneaking a glance sideways, studying TJ’s face, “is something up? You look tense.”

“Just had a little… tiff… with my parents over the direction my life and career is heading. According to my parents it’s heading to MIT, but according to my Math grades, that’s not very likely.”

“Chemical engineer, right?” Cyrus recalled the conversation they had had in another car, in another time, “Do you still want to become one?”

“I’ve never wanted to become one.” Cyrus studied TJ’s face, watching his eyebrows scrunch up and his entire body become more tense, “I wanted to be a professional basketball player for most of my life. Now… I don’t know. I just want to study English. I want to study literature. I don’t care for engineering; I couldn’t give any less of a shit about chemistry.” He gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles became white, “I’m never getting into MIT anyway.”

“Where do you want to go, then?”

“NYU. I’ve wanted to go there since I was eight! I’m on the line for a basketball scholarship there.” He said, letting go of the steering wheel, “That is what the fight was about anyway. My parents don’t think I should apply.”

Cyrus whistled through his teeth, “That sucks.”

“Anyway,” TJ said, “want to go for a coffee before we go to the library? I’d like to blow off some steam.”

“Right,” Cyrus said, “I didn’t bring any money, though.”

TJ smiled, “No worries, I can cover this time.”

“Cool.”

“Cool,” TJ repeated, “Alright, cool boy, tell me where you want to go to college.”

“I’m applying to a couple Ivies,” Cyrus said, “I’d like to go to Columbia, I think. Makes two of us headed for New York.”

“One of us,” TJ smiled sadly, pulling into the parking lot of the mall where they had coffee the previous time, “for now.”

“What? You’d rather go to Massachusetts? I don’t even know how to properly spell that. It’s probably the single worst state.”

“Are you kidding? The worst state is obviously Maryland. Up until the age of ten I thought it was an amusement park, like Six Flags.”

“Oddly enough, that doesn’t surprise me.”

-

“You do like those special lattes, don’t you?”

“Shut up,” Cyrus said, “if they offer a lavender latte, then you’re bound to try it at least once.” He took a sip and made a face, “Oh god, this tastes like soap.”

“Trade me,” TJ said, handing his over to Cyrus and taking a sip of Cyrus’ novelty lavender latte, “this isn’t bad at all. You keep mine, I’ll finish this one.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” TJ took another sip, “I quite like this, actually. Mine is just hazelnut, you should like that one, I think.”

Cyrus took a cautious sip, “Yeah, I do. Thanks.”

“No worries.”

-

“What are you reading?” TJ came up behind where Cyrus was sitting on a beanbag, keeping his legs on another one to save TJ a seat, and put his chin on Cyrus’ shoulder, trying to read along, “Is that Peter Pan?”

“Yes, it is,” Cyrus said, holding up the cover so TJ could see, “it’s one of my favourite books. What are you reading?”

“Kafka on the shore.” TJ read the cover, “It has a sticker saying that it was among the ten best books of the year 2005 according to the New York Times, so it should be good.”

“I’ve read that, I think,” Cyrus took the book from TJ, “oh, yeah, it’s a Murakami, he’s great.”

“Have you read everything?”

“I’ve read surprisingly little young adult.” Cyrus said, taking his feet off the bean bag, so TJ could sit, “Never even read Harry Potter.”

“You’ve never read Harry Potter?” TJ’s shocked face lasted only a couple of seconds. He poked Cyrus in the side of his stomach, “I don’t believe you.”

“Alright, I have read Harry Potter,” Cyrus laughed, moving away from TJ’s poke-happy fingers, “Sirius Black was gay as the fourth of July, nothing JK says can convince me otherwise.”

“You thought Sirius was gay? I always thought Lupin was gay.”

“She hasn’t written a single gay character, though, so we’d never know.” He continued when TJ opened his mouth, “Sub textual clues and post publication press conferences don’t count.”

“I was going to agree with you, don’t worry,” TJ smiled, “anyways, we should be quiet, the librarian is looking at us funny.”

“Isn’t that the teacher that gave us detention that one time?”

“Oh, yeah, Beth!” TJ waved at her, and to their surprise, she immediately waved back, “Nice to see that she finally got the job in a real library she wanted.”

Cyrus smiled and waved too, “Good on Beth.”

“Good on Beth,” TJ agreed, opening his book.

“So you're all set for money, then?” TJ read aloud, “the boy named Crow asks in his typical sluggish voice. The kind of voice like when you've just woken up and your mouth still feels heavy and dull. But he's just pretending. He's totally awake.” He put the book down on his knee, “Not gonna lie, this is setting up to be one hell of a downer.”

“I’m not spoiling anything.”

TJ sighed and opened the book again, “Wait, isn’t Kafka the dude that wrote about an accountant transforming into a giant cockroach?”

“Yes. But Murakami just writes about sad people. You’ll see.”

“Charming.”

-

“Thanks for coming, I needed a bit of air,” TJ said, parking his car in front of Cyrus’ house, “we should do this again soon.”

“I suggest we make it a Friday tradition. We get coffee and then we get a book.”

“Sounds great,” TJ said, reaching past Cyrus and opening up the door for him, “want to go to the cinema too, tomorrow?”

“God, yes,” Cyrus said, “but I’m allergic to remakes and franchises, there is basically nothing to see.”

“You’re just not going to the right theatre then.”

“Huh?” Cyrus said, while getting out of the car.

TJ raised his eyebrows, “I’ll pick you up at five. Bring your own snacks.”

“Should I be scared?”

“Terrified,” TJ said, pulling the door close and driving off with a wave.

Cyrus smiled and shook his head, walking up to the front door, squashing some weeds that were growing in the cracks in the concrete of their front porch with his foot, waiting for someone to open the door.

“Cyrus!” His dad answered the door, enthusiastic as if Cyrus hadn’t been home for a week, “Did you have fun with CJ?”

“TJ,” Cyrus corrected, sitting down at the kitchen table and took his plate of mashed potatoes, peas and stew out of the microwave, “and I had loads of fun.”

-

“I’m going out!” Cyrus yelled at the living room, where his parents were watching TV.

“How late will you be back?”

“Around eleven, I think, we’re going to watch a movie.”

Norman and Sharon came out of the living room, “With who? Who’s driving?”

“With TJ, he’s driving.”

“TJ again, huh?”

“Don’t look for things where there are none.”

Norman held his hands up, “Alright, alright, stay in touch. Text me when you’re heading home.”

“Will do,” Cyrus said, holding up his phone, “I’m going now.”

“Have fun!”

“Will do!” Cyrus repeated, walking out of the door, closing it behind him with a sigh, “Goddamn.”

He walked – no ran – to TJ’s car, trying to ignore his parents peeping from the living room window.

“That’s it, I’m coming to yours next time.”

“Hello to you too, Cyrus, how nice to see you.”

“Drive, please,” Cyrus pressed his hand to the side of his face, “my parents are really doing something else tonight.”

TJ laughed and put his car in drive, “That bad, huh?”

“My dad is on my case, don’t know why.”

“Let’s get your mind off of it, okay? We’re running late already, I think.”

“Late?”

“Late.” TJ confirmed and planted his foot firmly on the gas.

-

“Holy shit,” Cyrus leaned forward in his seat, “since when do we have a _drive-in_ in Shadyside?”

“It’s a little out of the city limits,” TJ clarified, “also, it’s relatively new, I think, I’ve only been here twice with my sister.”

“What are they playing?”

“Romeo + Juliet.”

“_Baz Luhrmann_?”

TJ nodded, “Yes, Baz Luhrmann.”

“I love his movies.”

“Me too!”

TJ drove into a spot in a relatively empty parking lot and started tuning their radio in on the right frequency to hear the movie. “I have some snacks in the back, if you want to grab them.”

Cyrus reached in the back and took out a bag filled with Skittles, M&M’s, Pringles and the like. “Dude, are you planning on feeding an army?”

“I’m a growing boy, I need a lot of food.”

“You’re an adult, you’re just about finished growing.”

“Cyrus,” TJ whined, drawing out the word, “let me live in the illusion until my metabolism can’t keep up anymore, please.”

“Right,” Cyrus laughed, fishing a packet of Red Vines out of the bag, “heck yeah, I love these.”

“Heck,” TJ mocked and let go of the radio, “I think it’s right now.”

“It better be,” Cyrus said, getting comfortable in his chair, “I love this movie.” He took a bite out of a Red Vine, “I used to think I was jealous of young Leonardo DiCaprio for kissing Claire Danes, but eventually I realised I wanted to be Claire Danes.”

“That’s relatable,” TJ said, “of course your straight childhood crush would be Claire Danes, you pretentious bitch.”

“Hey,” Cyrus laughed, “she’s very classy.” He looked out of the windshield, looking at the projector coming to life, “Ooh, it’s starting.”

-

“The _soundtrack_,” Cyrus said, popping one of the last M&M’s into his mouth, “the soundtrack is maybe the best thing about the movie.”

“Nah, Mercutio is the best part of the movie.”

“Or the costumes.”

“Or the swimming pool scene.”

Cyrus gasped, “I love that scene.”

“I really like that I have a friend I can take here now,” TJ said out of the blue, “my friends don’t really like old movies.”

“Is your favourite movie still Kung Fu Panda?”

TJ clacked his tongue. “Of course it is.”

“You’re really a piece of work, you know that, Kippen?”

“Of course I do.” TJ pulled into Cyrus’ street, “I pride myself on it.”

-

“Want to come to that new ice cream place with me and my friends Monday after school?”

“Sure,” TJ said, handing Cyrus a book that he just pulled off the shelf, “is this something for you?”

“Cassandra Clare? No way in hell.”

“You have such a weird hatred for young adult.” TJ pushed the book against his shoulder, “Come on, you liked Rick Riordan.”

Cyrus pushed him away, “That’s different, I like Greek Myths.”

“Yeah, I bet you do.” TJ slapped him on the thigh with the book before putting it back on the shelf. “Hey, would you mind if I bring some of my friends to ice cream too? Amber is home from college for a week, so…”

“Sure,” Cyrus said, “do I know them?”

“I don’t know,” TJ said, pulling another book from the shelf and handing it to Cyrus, “my sister, Amber, and my friend Marty will be free, I think Walker has an art contest. You met them-”

“At the amusement park,” Cyrus filled in, “I remember. Of course they’re welcome.”

-

**GHC also Jonah**

**Cyguy**

Hey

I know I already said I’d be bringing TJ on Monday

Is it okay if his sister and his friend come too?

**Andiman**

His sister?

Amber? From way back?

**Cyguy**

Yeah I guess

**Andiman**

Oh my god yes

Bring her

I haven’t seen her in ages

**Slayer**

Who is the other friend

**Cyguy**

His name is Marty

I don’t really remember him either

TJ says he’s funny

**Slayer**

Yeah I remember

No of course it’s cool if they come

**Frisbee Boi**

Not cool u guys are getting ice cream without me

**Cyguy**

Not cool u go to Wisconsin in the middle of the week

**Frisbee Boi**

My cousin is getting married

**Cyguy**

irrelevant

-

“Maybe they’re not coming anymore.” Andi fiddled with the menu card and exchanged a nervous glance with a huge group of middle schoolers that had arrived after them and looked pretty pissed that they had nabbed the biggest table. “They better be here soon, I’m so not in the mood to get lynched by a flock of angry prepubescent thirteen year olds today.”

“No, TJ would’ve texted me,” Cyrus said, checking his phone again for what felt like the twentieth time since they arrived, “They should be here at any moment.” As if on cue, the door swung open, and TJ stumbled inside, followed by, what Cyrus assumed, were Marty and Amber. He could hear them arguing from quite a distance.

TJ stuck his tongue out at the girl, “Well, you _had _to insist on driving, when you know you can’t park for shit.”

“Oh, look who’s talking. Who dented the car last week? It wasn’t me.”

“Someone dented it while I was parked.”

“I don’t believe that one bit.” Amber said, hoisting up her bag on her shoulder and looking around the place, her gaze landing on Andi, “Oh my god? Andi?”

“Amber!” Andi stood up from her chair and walked – ran – over to Amber and gave her a tight hug, “Oh my god, it’s been years!”

“Too long! How’s art school?” Amber pulled back and took Andi’s hands in hers, “We have so much to talk about.”

“We do!” Andi said, “Let’s get ice cream first though, we’ve been hogging the big table and those middle schoolers over there are on the brink of homicide.”

“Let’s,” Amber said, and she sat down at the table, TJ and Marty following suit. Cyrus quickly pulled the chair next to him back, so TJ felt invited to sit next to him.

“Thanks.” TJ sat down, putting his keys and wallet on the table, “Hey, by the way.”

“Hey,” Cyrus said, taking TJ’s keys from the table and smiling at his keychain, a little rainbow basketball, “I like your keychain.”

“I got it from my dad when I came out.” He rolled his eyes, “A little cliché, but a nice gesture, I guess.”

“Are you kidding? That’s so sweet.” Cyrus put the keys back on the table, “Are you ready to order?”

“Yeah,” TJ said, “I think I’m getting Oreo ice cream.”

“I’m getting Peanut Butter and Chocolate.”

“Cool.” TJ said, standing up and taking his wallet, “I’ll pay, since you payed for coffee last time.” He stood up and Cyrus watched him walk away.

Buffy put her phone down on the table and turned to Cyrus, whispering, “Last time?”

“Well yeah, we go to the library and get coffee every Friday. It’s like a ritual at this point.”

“And you’re sure nothing romantic is happening between you two?”

“_Yes_,” Cyrus sighed, exasperated, “we both got out of shitty situations and we’re working through them together. We’re like each other’s gay support group.”

“Why are you whispering?” Andi leaned away from Amber, “Is it important? Can I join?”

“No, it’s not important,” Cyrus said in his regular speaking voice. “Anyway, Marty, aren’t you on the track team?”

“Yeah,” Marty looked up from his phone, “track and field.”

Buffy shuffled in her chair, “Really? That’s so cool.”

“You’re captain of girls soccer and girls basketball, right? That’s awesome.”

“Well…” Buffy rolled her eyes with a smile, “I’m only co-captain of the soccer team.”

Marty shook his head, “Still sick, dude. We should train together sometime.”

“We should!” Buffy immediately agreed.

Cyrus and Andi made all-knowing eye contact as Marty and Buffy struck up an animated conversation, setting up a date for their gym date.

“Here you go,” TJ sat back down next to Cyrus, “are y’all getting ice cream or what?”

“Yeah,” Amber said, standing up quickly, “I guess we just got swept up in conversation. Andi, are you coming?”

“Of course,” Andi beamed, standing up, closely followed by Marty and Buffy.

“And then there were two.” TJ licked his ice cream, while Cyrus watched his friends in disbelief, looking at them pay for their ice cream and leave the shop, waving at TJ and Cyrus sitting at the big table alone.

“Can’t believe they ditched us five minutes in.”

“I can,” TJ said, watching Cyrus mope, “Marty and Amber couldn’t keep their eyes off your friends, of course they’d jump at the first chance to ditch.”

Cyrus pouted, taking a sad bite of ice cream, “Don’t they want to hang out with us?”

“I’m sure they want to hang out with us, just not now.” TJ rolled his eyes and dragged his finger through his ice cream to smear it on Cyrus’ cheek, “Now, cheer up.”

“Alright, alright, weirdo,” Cyrus said, cleaning his face with a napkin. “Let’s go, I think those kids are seriously considering killing us for hogging this table.”

-

**GHC also Jonah**

**Cyguy**

Anyone want to go to the movies with TJ and I tomorrow?

**Andiman**

Can’t

Hanging out with Amber

**Slayer**

Can’t

Hanging out with Marty

**Cyguy**

????

What am I smelling

Is something in the air

Could it be

Love?

**Andiman**

Weirdo

I don’t actually know if it’s a date

**Cyguy**

Ask her

**Andiman**

K, give me a minute

**Cyguy**

…

I’m just bursting with anticipation

**Andiman**

Aight

It’s a date

Noice

**Cyguy**

Toit

**Slayer**

Mine is definitely a date ajehfjehf

**Cyguy**

Niceeeeee

**Frisbee Boi**

Oh cool!!!!

Wait

Who are Amber and Marty?

-

“TJ!”

“What?”

“Columbia early acceptance mails go out today.”

“Don’t stress, you’re going to get in.”

Cyrus shook his head, taking his laptop out of his bag, “No, no, the acceptance rate is only 6.8 percent. I’m not getting in.”

“Hey,” TJ put his hand on Cyrus’ knee to stop him from pacing, “stop stressing, what’s done is done. Don’t ruin lunch for yourself.”

Buffy sat down next to them, Marty and Jonah trailing behind her.

“Cyrus, are you okay?” Buffy said, putting her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

“You look like you’re going to throw up,” Marty said, sitting down next to Buffy and taking a bite out of his apple.

“Early acceptance is out today,” TJ said, rubbing Cyrus’ shoulders, “are you sure you want to look at it now?” He watched as Cyrus opened the platform and put in his e-mail and password. “Are you sure, Cy?”

“Yeah,” Cyrus let out a breath through his teeth as he pressed enter. “Dear Cyrus,” he read from the screen, “congratulations, you have been selected – Fuck, I got in. I got in!”

“Oh my God!” Buffy screamed, making multiple people look back at their table, where everybody had dogpiled on Cyrus.

“I can’t believe you did it. Oh god.” TJ said, hugging Cyrus from the side, “Of course you got in. Of course, you’re so smart.”

Cyrus looked over to TJ with the best of his abilities, being very restricted by Marty lying on top of his head, “Now, you just got to get into NYU.”

“MIT.”

“NYU,” Cyrus said, taking TJ’s hand and squeezing it.

-

TJ paced around in his bedroom, “I don’t know why I even applied, I’m not going to get in.”

“Shut up and open the email.”

“Rich coming from you, remember when Columbia acceptance day came, you looked like you were gonna barf.”

“As if you’re looking any better right now, buddy.”

“Don’t call me buddy,” TJ said, sitting down in front of his laptop, “here goes nothing.”

Cyrus sat on TJ’s bed, holding his breath as the page loaded, preparing for the worst case scenario.

“Oh my god.”

“What? What?” Cyrus said, sitting up straight, “Did you get in?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my god!” Cyrus said, jumping at TJ and hugging him fiercely, “oh my god, I’m so proud.”

“Yeah,” TJ said, looking dazed, “but how to tell my parents, that’s a different story.”

“Hey, we’ll figure it out.” Cyrus took TJ’s hand and squeezed it, “You’re going to do _great._”

-

TJ and Cyrus were sat on the sofa in TJ’s room, two hours before New Year’s Eve, playing a drinking game with Sprite.

“Drink.”

Cyrus took a sip from his cup, “I’m not going to lie, after having downed half a litre of Sprite, it’s getting kind of dull.”

“Want me to get coke from downstairs?”

“Nah,” Cyrus said, pouring some more Sprite into his cup, “but I really don’t think this bottle is going to last us all evening.”

TJ shrugged and put another card down on the table when his door swung open and Amber stormed in.

“There you are,” she said, walking up to them, “I’ve been looking for you for twenty minutes! Why the fuck aren’t you downstairs?”

“We’re playing a drinking game.”

“With Sprite?”

“Being sober is the responsible thing to do,” he raised his eyebrows at Cyrus, who snorted.

“Responsible? More like Cyrus has to drive home his drunk friends and TJ decided to stay sober in solidarity.”

“You can stay over though?” Amber said, raising her eyebrows, mimicking TJ, “We have the entire guest bedroom, the attic and our parents’ room. That’s enough room for Cy, Buffy and Andi.”

TJ turned to Cyrus, “That’s true. If you want…”

“If I can sell that to my parents, then sure. Buffy and Andi were sleeping over at mine, anyways.”

He took out his phone and rang his mother, who picked up the phone right away.

“Cyrus? Is everything okay? Do I have to come get you?”

“No, no, everything’s fine,” Cyrus pinched the bridge of his nose, “it was just to ask if we can stay over at TJ and Amber’s house.”

“I mean,” he heard her talk to his stepdad, “if their parents are fine with it, sure.”

“Really? Fu- uh, I mean, okay, cool,” Cyrus said, baffled that his mother gave up that easy, “cool, cool, I’m going to go now.”

“Have fun!”

Cyrus put down the phone on TJ’s desk and stared at it for a while, trying to gather his thoughts, “We are allowed to stay over.”

“Time to get drunk,” Amber deadpanned, putting the empty bottle of wine she was holding down on the desk and pulling TJ up, “Let’s go!”

TJ reluctantly stood up and took Cyrus by the hands, pulling him onto his feet, “Let’s go party.”

“No,” Cyrus groaned, but let himself be led out of the room by the hand nonetheless, walking down the stairs, into a living room that was filled to the brim with people.

-

“Cyrus!”

Cyrus heard his name being called from the other side of the room and stood up from where he had been sharing a bottle of white wine with Andi and Jonah, looking around before seeing TJ wave at him from the beer pong table.

“TJ!” Cyrus waved back and walked over to him, “What’s up?”

“Felt like I hadn’t seen you in a while,” TJ said, taking a sip of his beer, “I just lost three straight games of beer pong.”

“Really? I would’ve pegged you for a-”

“TEN!” Tens of loud voices screaming interrupted Cyrus’ train of thought. He turned to TJ, wide eyed, who was looking back at him with a similar expression;

“NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX!” Cyrus looked over the crowd of people, seemingly all splitting off into duo’s in anticipation of midnight. He looked back at TJ, who was red in the face and still looking at him. TJ looked at his feet before shrugging, raising his eyebrows at Cyrus.

“THREE! TWO! ONE!” Cyrus opened his mouth to say something, but closed it instead and went in, connecting for the first couple of moments of the new year. TJ made a surprised noise, making Cyrus pull back the tiniest bit, before TJ put a large hand on the back of his neck and pulled him back in.

TJ didn’t taste very good, Cyrus thought, of stale beer and potato chips, but he ignored it, pushing up on his toes and threading his fingers through TJ’s hair. He pulled back a little bit and kissed TJ a last time, with a sweet, innocent, almost dry peck on the lips, before stepping back completely.

“Happy New Year, TJ.”

“Happy New Year, Cy.” TJ said, taking a small step towards Cyrus before shaking his head and stepping back again, leaning against the beer pong table.

-

Cyrus woke up an hour later than he usually would, opening his eyes and getting used to surroundings that were distinctly not his own room and his dry mouth.

He was half way into putting on his dress pants that he’d been wearing the night before, before he realised that he was in TJ’s room, on a stretcher next to the bed. TJ was nowhere to be seen, though, so Cyrus took a random sweater out of his closet, thinking that TJ wouldn’t care if he borrowed it.

He stumbled down the stairs, into the kitchen, where TJ was sat at the kitchen table drinking a glass of water.

“Hey,” TJ’s voice sounded hoarse, and he looked tired, downing the last of his water, “want to get coffee and talk?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!!! if you enjoyed, please leave a comment, i live for them
> 
> also sorry to people in maryland
> 
> also come say hi on tumblr!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the Andi Mack Big Bang! It's a spin on the classic movie 'When Harry Met Sally', which is one of my all time favourite movies. It's practically written in its entirety so I'm just posting it here :)
> 
> find me on tumblr, [@nineteenohtwo](https://nineteenohtwo.tumblr.com/)
> 
> leave a comment, i love reading them x


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